85% Graphic Health Warning On Cigarette Packs Demanded

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Mar, 2017 ) : The Network for Consumer Protection and Coalition for Tobacco Control (CTC) on Wednesday asked the quarters concerned to implement the decision of enforcing 85% Graphic Health Warning (GHW) on cigarette packs.

Addressing a press conference here, National Coordinator of CTC-Pak Khurram Hashmi urged the government to implement its decision following the international obligation under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

He said that if the warning was enforced, Pakistan would be among only few countries of the globe to implement the GHW. He added the prime purpose of proposing larger pictorial warning was to create awareness about the hazards and ill-effects of tobacco consumption.

He said that at present, according to the Cigarette Package Health Warnings International Status of Canadian Cancer Society Report, Pakistan ranks 106 among 205 countries, while after implementing the enhanced GHW, its rank would elevate to the 3rd position.

He said that the decision of implementing enlarged pictorial health warning would protect the citizens, specially youth. CEO of The Network for Consumer Protection Nadeem Iqbal said that Pakistan had shown exemplary commitment to tobacco control in the last couple of years.

"Pakistan declares ban on shisha smoking and restricted tobacco products advertisements. Pakistan announced the new 85% GHW that would put us among the top four countries in the world including Nepal, India, and Thailand all from the South Asia region." Project Coordinator of The Network for Consumer Protection Ms Sana Azmat said that cigarette manufacturing companies designed and packaged their cigarettes with the objective to not only increase their sales, but also to attract new smokers.

She said that according to WHO's report on tobacco consumption in Pakistan, nearly 108,000 people lost their lives annually due to smoking, while 1200 youth and children suffered from tobacco related diseases daily.

She added according to the Institute of Medicine, restrictions on package labeling were critical to reducing tobacco use and ensuring that smokers were adequately informed about the risks of smoking. Prominent health warnings on packages were among the most cost-effective forms of public health education available, she added.